KIRKUS REVIEW

A World War II novel explores the possibilities of love and courage amid
catastrophe.

Capt. Tom MacMillan, an American combat pilot, flies treacherous missions in
Europe during World War II. Terrified but also talented, he’s wounded and sent
to an English hospital, where he’s put under the care of Molly Masterson, a
beautiful young nurse who seethes with contempt for ill-mannered, uncouth
Americans, especially hubristic pilots. She immediately dislikes Tom, who
quickly reveals himself to be brash, indelicate, and girl crazy, fulfilling all
of the stereotypes that fuel Molly’s disdain for Americans (“Molly loathed
Captain MacMillan. She particularly disliked his eyes. They were a teasing
blue-grey, piercing and quite exquisite, but smug”). But predictably, they
start to soften toward each other, and then fall deeply in love. War, however,
stands in their way, as Tom, shot down over Belgium, parachutes into enemy
territory and encounters a brave farmer (“The farmer
hid him in a row of beans beside a dense hedge several feet thick. The Germans
were not far behind. Trucks roared to a stop nearby, and someone shouted an
order. The Nazis beat the brush, closing in to where he hid”). Will Tom escape
the Nazis and attempt to return to his base? Molly’s family proves to be
an obstacle to their relationship as well, as her parents are less than
impressed by Tom. This debut novel involves a number of twists and turns, which
will keep some readers engrossed, but likely exhaust others. The acrimonious
repartee between Tom and Molly when they first meet becomes tiresome and
formulaic. But the author displays a remarkable knowledge of aviation and
tactical warfare, which lends the combat scenes a vivid and stirring
authenticity. And Tom is not the boilerplate heroic protagonist: he’s genuinely
afraid, and confesses to Molly that he longs to be relieved of combat duty.
Some of the narrative’s finest parts revolve around Tom’s struggle to muster
the courage that seems to dwell inside him. The plot becomes excessively
tangled, and Matlock’s quest to make this a novel of epic breadth, while a
worthy ambition, may come at the expense of the reader’s patience. But a
crackling combination of action and emotional poignancy should make up for
these failings.

Despite its excessive length and complexity, an affecting story of hope in
the face of despair.

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